Sam's Drunk Dog wrote:Anyone else notice that the arena construction camera has been frozen for a couple of days?

Can anyone that works nearby give an update as to the progress?

I actually just drove by there on Saturday, and it look good. It's amazing how big of an area they cleared. They had more dirt moving machines there, so it looks like they are really going to start leveling out the place.

The new arena is sooo exciting. Too bad that Don Barden's financial problems put a damper on things. News today said contractors walked off the job site for non-payment. More to walk off on Monday. Such a huge mistake to award the license to the most unprepared applicant. Oh well, no use going there at this point.

Jasmine wrote:The new arena is sooo exciting. Too bad that Don Barden's financial problems put a damper on things. News today said contractors walked off the job site for non-payment. More to walk off on Monday. Such a huge mistake to award the license to the most unprepared applicant. Oh well, no use going there at this point.

the Pens staying is all that matters- that casino can never come to being and i could care less- the state screwed up in picking him and i hope they end up looking like bigger fools than they already are

SEE??? I knew it. "The fix" was in all along. There is a conspiracy between Big Oil, FCE, Eddie Rendell, Danny O., Franco Harris, the Rooneys, and Mark Madden to artificially inflate oil prices to assist in:

A.) Shipping the Penguins to Kansas City, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and Oklahoma City. (The team will play ten "home" games in each city to satisfy all parties outise of Pittsburgh.)

B.) Forcing the trade of Crosby and Malkin to the Flyers for Bobby Hill, Matt Bruback, and Jose Hernandez

Idoit40fans wrote:I don't know what gas prices where 10 years ago because I wasn't driving, but I know that 5 years ago it was half of what it is now.

I rememeber distinctly... in may 1997 I got my DL and I was 16. I remember looking for change in the couch to get 5 bucks worth of gas for the week. It was $0.97 a gallon at the time. My how times have changed...... Now you could probably drink $0.97 worth of gas and I dont think you would even get a buzz from it.

Jasmine wrote:The new arena is sooo exciting. Too bad that Don Barden's financial problems put a damper on things. News today said contractors walked off the job site for non-payment. More to walk off on Monday. Such a huge mistake to award the license to the most unprepared applicant. Oh well, no use going there at this point.

Barden's contribution is guaranteed by the state, so it doesn't matter what happens in building the casino. Honestly, though, you have to admit it takes a certain type of real "genius" to end up in the red running casinos, doesn't it?

In hindsight, IoC not winning the slots license was the best thing that could have happened to the Penguins. Development on the current arena site is going to be worth a fortune (I've read that you will not find 20+ acres of undeveloped downtown-ish real estate anywhere in the country), and if Barden defaults then that land is all theirs!

Jasmine wrote:The new arena is sooo exciting. Too bad that Don Barden's financial problems put a damper on things. News today said contractors walked off the job site for non-payment. More to walk off on Monday. Such a huge mistake to award the license to the most unprepared applicant. Oh well, no use going there at this point.

Barden's contribution is guaranteed by the state, so it doesn't matter what happens in building the casino. Honestly, though, you have to admit it takes a certain type of real "genius" to end up in the red running casinos, doesn't it?

In hindsight, IoC not winning the slots license was the best thing that could have happened to the Penguins. Development on the current arena site is going to be worth a fortune (I've read that you will not find 20+ acres of undeveloped downtown-ish real estate anywhere in the country), and if Barden defaults then that land is all theirs!

newarenanow wrote:Papers are signed, and the Pens agreed to pay any cost overruns over X amount of dollars.

Also, I'm sure when they signed the contracts, some prices were locked in at the current rate. That is how many contracts of this nature work.

I'm not worried at all.

The true cost of the new arena cannot be known until the major construction contract bids come in. The bids will reflect current construction costs, which have gone up dramatically and unexpectedly in a short period. That plus the nearly 2-month silence about the new arena from the Pens and the Sports and Exhibition Authority has me quite worried that something is amiss.

newarenanow wrote:Papers are signed, and the Pens agreed to pay any cost overruns over X amount of dollars.

Also, I'm sure when they signed the contracts, some prices were locked in at the current rate. That is how many contracts of this nature work.

I'm not worried at all.

The true cost of the new arena cannot be known until the major construction contract bids come in. The bids will reflect current construction costs, which have gone up dramatically and unexpectedly in a short period. That plus the nearly 2-month silence about the new arena from the Pens and the Sports and Exhibition Authority has me quite worried that something is amiss.

Work is being done over there. Do you want the Pens to report every week on the progress of the arena. Plus, if there was an issue, I'm sure it would have hit the news (ie. the casino troubles).

As for the cost, there are some very smart people in charge. I'm sure they did their homework and factored in scenarios where costs would rise.

One of the major criteria in awarding the license was so that this kind of BS would not happen. The gaming board is at fault for turning a blind eye to Bardens financial strength or lack thereof. Its not like this is the first financial struggle the guy has had. IN the end the this will be covered by tax dollars due to fast eddie and the gaming board.

Wow, some people will jump on the bandwagon for anything these days. Guess it's just nervousness about July 1 coming up?!!
Anyway, all I said was that the PA Gaming Board awarded the license to the "least prepared" applicant. BOTH of the other plans were much more solid, both professionally and financially. Anyone who can dispute that statement with facts, please post now. Otherwise, please save your sarcasm for a time when it might be funnier. Sorry to sound b*****, but where did the smart remarks come from when most of us just love the Pens?

newarenanow wrote:Papers are signed, and the Pens agreed to pay any cost overruns over X amount of dollars.

Also, I'm sure when they signed the contracts, some prices were locked in at the current rate. That is how many contracts of this nature work.

I'm not worried at all.

The true cost of the new arena cannot be known until the major construction contract bids come in. The bids will reflect current construction costs, which have gone up dramatically and unexpectedly in a short period. That plus the nearly 2-month silence about the new arena from the Pens and the Sports and Exhibition Authority has me quite worried that something is amiss.

Work is being done over there. Do you want the Pens to report every week on the progress of the arena. Plus, if there was an issue, I'm sure it would have hit the news (ie. the casino troubles).

As for the cost, there are some very smart people in charge. I'm sure they did their homework and factored in scenarios where costs would rise.

Quit trying to make something out of nothing.

The ongoing work is site preparation, making the land "clean" for groundbreaking and the start of construction. It is not labor intensive and does not require the purchase of materials, i.e., steel and concrete. The site preparation contract was awarded months ago.

They surely did factor inflation into the cost estimate, but it is unlikely that they assumed the extraordinary rate of inflation that has occurred in the last year.

newarenanow wrote:Papers are signed, and the Pens agreed to pay any cost overruns over X amount of dollars.

Also, I'm sure when they signed the contracts, some prices were locked in at the current rate. That is how many contracts of this nature work.

I'm not worried at all.

The true cost of the new arena cannot be known until the major construction contract bids come in. The bids will reflect current construction costs, which have gone up dramatically and unexpectedly in a short period. That plus the nearly 2-month silence about the new arena from the Pens and the Sports and Exhibition Authority has me quite worried that something is amiss.

Work is being done over there. Do you want the Pens to report every week on the progress of the arena. Plus, if there was an issue, I'm sure it would have hit the news (ie. the casino troubles).

As for the cost, there are some very smart people in charge. I'm sure they did their homework and factored in scenarios where costs would rise.

Quit trying to make something out of nothing.

The ongoing work is site preparation, making the land "clean" for groundbreaking and the start of construction. It is not labor intensive and does not require the purchase of materials, i.e., steel and concrete. The site preparation contract was awarded months ago.

They surely did factor inflation into the cost estimate, but it is unlikely that they assumed the extraordinary rate of inflation that has occurred in the last year.